Yes, an opportunity to be a Nudgester opens doors for one to join the organisation’s impact journey, gain deeper exposure to complex social problems, level up in terms of skills, build emotional intelligence, and work with passionate allies.
But, time, as it usually does, questions… what next? Taking charge of crafting their careers has allowed Nudgesters to explore and discover their potential in roles that previously may have remained unimaginable.
After much deliberation, Shruti Soumya, who had always been in a strategy role, including at The/Nudge, made a well-thought-out move to people & culture. Although an unfamiliar space, her intent-first approach and ability to adapt skills gave her a new charter as she began leading talent acquisition efforts for the organisation
Now, as she is all set to transition into a strategic role in the people & culture function, she shares her views on what the agency to chart her journey on her terms meant for her.
“Having spent over 6 years in B2B sales and brand management and over 3 years in product and strategy in the social sector, when contemplating my next career move, I sought answers to fundamental questions, like in an organisational setting, what are some of the problem statements that I am naturally drawn to? And most problem statements that I could identify were related to the people and culture function.”
In an entirely new domain, Shruti’s curiosity was exceeded by her commitment to learning nuances and identifying context within the space.
“The open door policy with leaders and fellow Nudgesters helped me gain perspective and build a foundational understanding. This solidified my intent further.”
Transitioning from a product role with competencies across research, strategy, program design and management, she approached her P&C role from the perspective of how empowering Nudgesters with the right information, tools and context can enable them to work with purpose at the center, in individual as well as collective action.
“In my previous role, I was a part of a new team which was fairly lean. As we started expanding, I kept hitting upon the realisation that a product or an organisation can only become high-performing when the people are taken care of. After all, people create products.”
“I believe, people & culture, as an enabler function, helps Nudgesters realise their potential. In my next role, I am keen on investing my efforts in engaging with initiatives and interventions that can build high-performing and well-engaged teams.”
Nearly 400 Nudgesters across 10 states are connected by the Spirit of The/Nudge, which espouses ‘purpose at the center’, ‘founder’s mindset’, ‘solutions at population scale’ and ‘better together’. These guiding principles and organisational policies are geared towards helping Nudgesters learn varied domain skills and own their professional growth.
“Thinking through my role transitions, I feel like I have been guided by ‘purpose at the center’, which to me translates into organisational success, powered by the success of every individual Nudgetser. In the process, I have found myself relating to Howard Truman when he said—ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go and do that because what the world needs is people who are alive.”
Stay tuned for more perspectives and stories from Nudgesters who are taking on new challenges, innovating, and solving for a ‘poverty-free India within our lifetime.’
